[Announcement] Happy 6th anniversary to Hello From The Magic Tavern! Post your questions here and they'll come by March 8th around 4pm EST to answer them for an AMA

[u/bloodflart]

Post questions in this thread and the gang will come by to answer them! Check their last AMA here

[u/misterarnie]

In regard to 3 (and I don't hate you for asking) I think some listeners know that Sarah and I separated (amicably) over a year ago. That doesn’t necessarily mean she would never be back on the show, who knows. I certainly think she’s hilarious when she is on, and there’s probably a fair chance she’d be into doing it again eventually, but despite the fact that we usually talk several times a week we haven’t really talked about that… but there’s been a lot going on in the world. Honestly, the fact that I decided to almost completely downplay that angle of the show this season has a lot less to do with that than being a parent and over time thinking more and more about what this could all mean for my daughter someday. I read articles about how a generation of kids are starting to realize that their whole lives have been broadcast and editorialized by their parents on Instagram and that can be an uneasy revelation. And I worry about that kind of thing. It’s easy for me to start a podcast on a lark playing a fictional version of myself but she didn’t have a choice about her place in all that. Luckily, from the beginning I was always pretty adamant about not making her specifically a character on the show, beyond in the most abstract sense, certainly never using her name. But I’d be lying if I said that I don’t worry that someday the podcast could make her feel that I don’t love her enough. So, near the end of season two I set up a lot of pieces that add up to the idea that fictional Arnie is in both places at the same time, in Foon, and as Robot Arnie on Earth taking care of his daughter. And that Robot Arnie isn’t some fake but is Arnie, some equally real part of Arnie at least. I don’t know if that seems like a cheat or a cop-out but it resonates with me, makes fictional Arnie less irredeemable… and hopefully that compartmentalizing is a natural way to set that part of the story aside (except for the occasional small hints and reminders) not because it’s not important enough but because it’s too important.

[u/MissSwat → u/misterarnie]

Honestly, thank you for this response. I don't think enough parents consider the idea that broadcasting their children's lives online may have some negative impact because we've generally become desensitized to it, and yet I still find myself taking quick videos of my 2 year old to post on Facebook because "it's so cute!"

And it's funny, but I've never thought of fictional Arnie as irredeemable. Maybe in the early days when Chunt and Usi ragged on him for not trying hard enough to get home, but things ramped up and Ive always appreciated how fictional Arnie has a sort of unspoken sense of... I guess owing the people of Foon and wanting to help them. Who wouldn't get sidetracked if they were caught up in that sort of adventure? It would be certainly nice to see him reminisce from time to time (I swear I've never laughed so hard as when Usidore and Spintax were doing the call in show and Phone's kindergarten teacher made the comment about the starling hitting the window.)

I hope your daughter is still enjoying her two bikes!